Finding the motivation to soldier on especially on those days you really don’t feel like getting out of bed, let alone be a productive human can sometimes be a tall order. This is even harder when you’ve put your energy into the ‘9 - 5‘ but you want to come home and do things for yourself, whether that be creative projects, a side hustle or anything in between. On occasion it’s all too easy to retreat into pjs, easy tv and slobbing on the sofa to unwind - then mentally punish ourselves for ‘wasting’ our own time. Trying to take advantage of those pockets of motivation aren’t always possible but there are some ways to help cultivate that kind of encouragement. Here are some ways to not only brighten my day but hopefully add more inclination to use my time more productively for my own projects.

Whilst I may not be up to date with the latest in and outs of the fashion, I’m a huge advocate of personal style and the joy / confidence / creativity it can bring. On occasion our personal style choices can seem repetitive and flat but they don’t have to be by rejigging how we see our wardrobe. Over the past couple of years I’ve transitioned my wardrobe into something that is more minimal and monochrome this aesthetic may not be for everyone but the whole process has taught me how to explore and get more creativity from my wardrobe.

Creativity isn’t just related to artists it’s about making new routines, connections or experiences that in turn inspire you to find that spark, so finding new ways that have helped in pushing my motivation is always something I’m keen to encourage. It’s isn’t always possible to dedicate hours or days purely devoted to your creative journey or practicing your craft however there are usually small pockets in our day which we can put towards little fulfilling tasks that in turn could inspire our work. Here are just a few ways / tasks that bring me joy from the little things.

Those hours after our work day are incredibly precious but often we’re too preoccupied with other things like preparing for work the next day, looking after the family or reliving the past work day - to name only a few. When I worked at my previous office role sometimes I’d get home very late leaving no time to truly unplug and over time it became too overwhelming that something had to give. After looking at my own routines and adding more clarity on what brings me joy I found I needed more space and time for slower creativity. Whilst this blog is my main source of creativity it still keeps me attached to electronics, the online world and my idea of a side - hustle it often keeps at bay those thoughts of true rest. The below outlets are all about getting away from a screen, using less of my ‘on’ brain and being more mindful with my time.

Me and reading have had an odd relationship for a couple of years ever since finishing my creative degree but currently we’re in a good place with more time purposefully put aside to turn those pages. As a reader I’ve always been a reader who has several books on the go and at the moment I’m on a quest to educate myself on the subject of ‘creativity‘ not only to support the thinking behind this site further plus continue my own well-being journey. Here’s my current reading list.

Do you have any recommendations ??

It’s so easy to push creativity aside because it’s not always related to our ‘important’ stuff (this is especially true if like me you work in a 9-5 environment and you are a teeny tiny cog in a huge machine) but we forget that whatever form our creativity takes it can bring a real breath of fresh air and clarity to our day. Whether we enjoy our jobs or not we all need a full stop to our day. It’s effortlessly smooth to fall into the trap of doing everything and leaving the things that bring us joy for ‘when we have time'. Making time in a day can be a tall order especially as we’re all incredibly busy but there are some ways to find an extra half an hour for you and only you.

At the start of 2018 I made the decision to embrace elements of minimalism that I thought could work with my current lifestyle (blog post found here). After watching several documentaries such as Minimalism: A Documentary About The Important Things (found on Netflix) , reading beautiful blogs such as A Considered Life and Jessica Rose Williams - it has really helped compound my growing feeling that I needed to make a change and be more considerate of what I consume, buy and recycle. As a human it can be so difficult to be truly minimal as we’re all running our own race plus our current climate garners towards the power of ‘ease’ rather than the necessary. Our passions and personal lifestyles don’t always take minimalism into account but like so many things it’s a work in progress. In this post it’s all about the baby steps I’ve taken to not be such a wasteful soul.

In recent years we’ve cultivated a culture that prioritises work and the art of being busy coupled with undo pressure from our bosses let alone ourselves - it can be incredibly hard to break the cycle and truly unwind from all the hours we spend working. Building our own boundaries and routines into our daily schedule can create more breathing space for other loves plus give us the ability to value ourselves over others. Leaving work behind for the day can be an essential part of self care (even if you adore your job role) but can be so hard to truly accomplish as we can often stay preoccupied with the thought of work during our at home hours too. I’m a girl who loves a bit of structure, separation and easy to implement tips.

One annual post I love collating is my look back on the year through my camera, some images you will have seen through the blog, some on instagram / stories and a few that would’ve been left to linger in the files. I enjoy these posts as they capture the little moments in the every day adventures, in comparing the 2017’s review blog post you may notice that I’ve been working hard not only on my current photographic style but also what I what I want my year to look like for me. It’s meant more art, nature, confidence with a selfie and exploration.

Last year I said goodbye to the tradition of setting a list of resolutions in favour of establishing a single word that will encompass the entire year - 2018 saw the word ‘ G R O W T H ‘ come into play. As the year progressed I’ve become a convert of this system as it cultivates a thought process that allows us to show up differently for work and life, I’ve found it much more fulfilling. So here’s a recap of 2018’s word and what I’m taking forward in 2019.

Another year has come around (apparently at the speed of light), after what feels like a last minute rush the break is finally here and entirely welcome - this girl is ready to eat / drink her weight in festive goodness several times over. So this is a quick post from me to say that however you celebrate the festive season and new year - or not - I hope you’re having a wonderful time.

I am passionate about creativity so much so that I’m forever trying to refine or find new things that spark my interest, which is why I want to start the conversation about finding the time / inspiration into pursuing our outlets, sometimes that isn’t always possible as we get lost in life admin and other necessities. We forget that creativity can play a part in every facet of our lives and it isn’t just about artists making magic, it’s about finding elements of self-care that can really help us in the long run that fit in with our current routines. With my new job role I’m determined to build on and address some activities that bring me real joy so that it can also benefit my productivity. How do you find little moments for your outlets and imagination?

After deciding to rebrand my site very early in 2018, it was 1 of the few yearly goals I set myself and I took it incredibly seriously: reading brilliant books, planned in my sketchbook, procrastinated / worried over the final details then decided to get over my fear and release it. When it was time to press publish you finally realise why it was all worth it and all the good things that can come from reaching your end goal. Here are just a few reasons why rebranding was a good move for me, have you rebranded recently? Are you planning a rebrand? What have you learnt from your experience(s)?

It’s no secret I’m always on the hunt for new concepts that not only add joy to my everyday but also to help with those light bulb moments. One route to nirvana I’m embracing is collecting the images I adore and curate them into a smaller notebook that I can refer to whenever it takes my fancy. Here’s the why behind my book of beauty. How do you bring inspiration into your life on a daily basis?

I am very mindful of the fact that a lot of my life is spent with either a phone in my hand or gazing at a screen so when starting a new project sometimes it’s good to leaf through actual pages to gain fresh inspiration. You don’t have to read 100’s of books (as that can be overwhelming) but few key choices can really inform your work. Here are the picks I read before the completion of my rebrand project but more than that they’ve become some of my absolute favourites that can be found on my shelves - so much so that I’ve read them multiple times - what are your most inspirational reads?

When you've finished your planning, created all the necessary elements and you've implemented your plan - it's time to press publish. But then what? When a big project is over you can feel a little lost, burnt out or overwhelmed after all you've dedicated a lot of hours to this endeavour, perhaps lost sleep over it and reworked your ideas till they're ready to say hello to the world. As you may know I recently completed my latest rebrand, it had been on my mind for the majority of the year and afterwards when it went live I did feel a little flat. Here are a few ways I've been regaining my energy so I can work on the next goal that brings me joy. How do you unwind especially if there's been a big accomplishment you've been working towards?

In terms of blogging 2018 has been incredibly successful and will hopefully lead to some new exciting ventures,, it’s my happy space but as it is a passion project and does not support me money-wise it often has to be pushed aside in favour of the the ‘9-5‘ or other less fun necessities. This year has meant a lot of breaks for the blog in order to combat other lifestyle responsibilities but here’s hoping I can be more consistent for myself and revel in my creative outlet (plus also show up for you lovely lot as an audience). This latest break was not intended but looking back was essential to resetting a few things. Here are a few reasons why I needed to step away from social media and blogging.

Finding time in the day to indulge in even a little bit of creativity can be tough, especially if you're just trying to fit it all in with work, commute, family, run a house and sleep however self care is an important element to your wellbeing. I've found that one of the best ways to cultivate a bit of time is to slowly build in tiny routines that can be molded around you and your lifestyle so it hopefully becomes a welcome habit. Here are just a few ways I'm trying my really hard to include more of that creativity in my current schedule. How do you do it? Any tips to share?